Attempts at introducing economies into baling material such as hay or the like has resulted in various proposals for combining the raking function and baling function into a single operation. In some instances the rake is mounted on the tractor that tows the baler and by way of example of the same reference maybe had to U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,428 Granted Jul. 29, 1980 Inventor Robert O Caraway entitled “Raking and Baling Machine”; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,189 Granted Mar. 7, 1978 Inventor Walton C. Hering entitled “Front Mounted Adjustable Twin Rakes”,
In other instances the rake is located between the tractor and the baler and by of example of the same reference U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,354 Granted Aug. 22, 2000 Inventor Harold R Luhn et al entitled “Rake apparatus” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,702 Granted Apr. 11, 1995 Inventor Johnny M Lewis entitled “Retrofitable Wide Windrow Apparatus”.
In these references an elongate draw bar connects the tractor to the baler and a rake is mounted on the draw bar.
Where the raking and baling are two separate operations the operator, during the baling operation, is able to drive along a zig-zag path to distribute the windrow to where needed across the width of the bale to provide, or caused to be formed, a suitable bale. In this operation the windrow is normally narrower in width than the width of the baler pick-up. Driving a zig-zag path virtually little or no affect in a single raking and baling operation in which the windrow discharges from the rake at a position in proximity to the baler intake.
It is known to have side delivery rake means at the infeed end of a pick-up and operative to sweep cut material beyond the width of the pick-up into a path in alignment with the pick-up and by way of example of same reference maybe had to the following United States Patents and publications:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,578 Granted Mar. 28, 1995 Inventor Marcello B. Galanti entitled “Apparatus for Raking and Baling Cut Material”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,217 Granted Jul. 7, 1992 Inventor Ferol S Fell et al entitled “Round Baler Having Wide Windrow Converging Mechanism”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,125,845 Granted Mar. 24, 1964 Inventor M. A. Lee entitled “Swath Gathering Mechanism”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,606 Granted Mar. 5, 1957 Inventor E. I. Wilson entitled “Windrow Divider and Bale Pickup Extension”; U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,557 Granted Jul. 31, 1956 Inventor J. H. Bornzin et al entitled “Pick-up Device with Driven Sweeping Rakes”; and PCT International Application publication No WO 94/10828 Published May 25, 1994 entitled “An Improved Round Baler” Inventor Brian Taeg.
These references disclose converging rake mechanisms that extend laterally beyond the pick-up of the baler and move the material within the swept area into a windrow corresponding to the width of the baler pickup. The rake mechanisms are allowed to move up and down to overcome obstacles and the like but not laterally relative to the path of travel except for U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,557 and the PCT publication. In the '557 patent the lateral movement changes only the width of sweep. The PCT published application discloses a rake having raking reels that are power driven and mounted on arms attached to a draw bar by a telescopic connection capable of being moved in a direction toward and away from the path of travel. The PCT disclosed apparatus is simply a raking and baling operation.
None of the forgoing references disclose means to rake material into a windrow followed by apparatus to shift at least one marginal edge portion of such windrow to reduce the width of the windrow. The forging references fail to disclose or even remotely suggest apparatus for reducing the width of the windrow during baling to be less than that of the baler pick-up and divert that narrower windrow to various positions as maybe desired in a direction laterally across the width of the bale being formed.
Rakes with tined raking wheels in rolling engagement with the ground are known and by way of example reference maybe had to the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,428. The tined wheels perform a raking function by being rotated through frictional engagement with the ground. The tined wheels rotate in vertical planes appropriately angled relative to the direction of travel such that the plurality of tine wheels in series move the material into a windrow.
The aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,578 discloses rake members that are power driven and rotate in horizontal planes. The aforementioned PCT published application discloses tined wheels that are power driven and is silent on the orientation of the same.